Highways of Worship: Embracing Global Sounds to Discern the Spirit’s Move Across the Earth

From the conversation between Jonathan Brown, Chief Global Officer at David C. Cook, and Joshua Swanson, Editor-in-Chief of Worship Leader Magazine, it’s clear that global worship movements are evolving in ways that powerfully highlight the unity and diversity within the body of Christ. Brown’s extensive experience in fostering worship music around the globe gives us valuable insight into how worship songs can transcend cultures and languages, creating a universal language of worship.

The Universal Language of Worship

As Brown highlights, “rhythm and sound is a universal language… music can be thoughtful and substantial, but it also creates feeling and emotiveness.” This idea speaks to how worship music has the ability to bypass barriers, whether cultural or linguistic and connect believers at a deep, spiritual level. Worship has always been a place where the unity of the Church is palpable despite the differences in our backgrounds. This global perspective of worship challenges leaders to think beyond their local contexts and appreciate the broader movement of God across the earth.

Brown’s work at Integrity Music has demonstrated how worship music can bring the global Church together, even when the lyrics and melodies originate from different parts of the world. One striking example of this is the song “Way Maker” by Sinach, a worship leader from Nigeria. During the pandemic, “Way Maker” became a global anthem, not only for its powerful lyrics but also because it spoke to a universal cry of the Church during a challenging season. The fact that a song born out of Africa could carry such resonance worldwide demonstrates how God is using worship music to elevate voices from different cultures to bless the broader body of Christ.

Local Worship – – > Global Anthem

Another profound realization that Brown shared came during his travels, where he observed that “people sing their own songs the loudest.” The authenticity and depth of worship increase when believers sing songs that emerge from their cultural context. Brown recounted moments of seeing congregations deeply moved when they worshipped in their own language and musical style. This insight offers an essential challenge for worship leaders everywhere—to recognize the power of contextualized worship and to uplift the songs that arise from the heart of local churches around the world.

As Brown noted,

“The kingdom of God operates… more beautifully when everybody in the body of Christ has a part to play.”

Worship leaders, pastors, and musicians are increasingly becoming curators of global worship, discovering the songs God is raising up in other cultures and making them available for the whole Church. This growing emphasis on amplifying voices from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and other regions is helping to break the “homogenization” that can sometimes occur when worship music becomes too centralized in one region or sound.

The Role of Technology in Global Worship

In today’s digital age, the global spread of worship music has only increased, thanks in large part to the rise of social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Spotify. Brown observed that technology is helping songs and sounds from lesser-known parts of the world to “amplify the opportunity” for worship music to cross borders, creating a global conversation of worship. He views this as a significant development, one that has enabled greater diversity in the music we consume and share as a global Church.

The Call to Global Vision

In conclusion, Brown’s reflections call all worship leaders to consider a broader vision for their ministry. As he said, “I’m in this role right now… to help facilitate those highways” that allow worship music to travel globally. Leaders in worship movements should have their eyes and ears attuned to what God is doing in various parts of the world. By doing so, they not only witness the richness of global worship but also become partners in amplifying those songs and sounds that are shaping the faith of communities far beyond their own.

The call is clear: as the Spirit of God continues to move across the nations, worship leaders must embrace the global body of Christ, recognizing the unique ways in which God is inspiring songs of praise in every language and culture. By doing so, we participate in a global chorus that resounds with the presence and power of God, fulfilling the vision of a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7).

May the Lord guide and strengthen all leaders stewarding worship movements across the globe, and may we continue to look beyond our own contexts to see where the Holy Spirit is moving among the nations.

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